Imagine you are a soldier in the field. Critical information about enemy movements and supplies, as well as your own positions and support are continuously streaming through a computer you carry. This computer is your lifeline, giving you an overview of the battle, but it is dark and you cannot risk giving away your position by turning on the screen. What do you do?
Imagine that you’re a wildlife conservationist studying arctic foxes. One day, you notice that the foxes started shedding their protective fur. Winter is coming and without their fur, the foxes face a perilous situation. A type of skin disease is the cause, but how do you identify which foxes have it before it’s too late? Before their fur falls out?
The answer to both these questions as well as many others is imaging; in particular, imaging in the infrared spectrum. Infrared cameras and goggles have incredible applications across a wide variety of industries, such as defense, conservation, and manufacturing, just to name a few. So what’s the problem?
Cost. Currently, the only major consumer of infrared and thermal imaging is the military. While there are tons of other applications across many markets, the high cost of this equipment prevents them from being used outside of small, niche applications.
That’s where we come in. The chemistry department at the University of Chicago has researched and patented a new technology to detect light in the mid-infrared spectrum. This technology has potential to provide devices at dramatically lower cost. At the heart of this potential is the use of nanocrystal inks, which can be processed into devices using established methods of printing; drastically simpler and less expensive than the growth methods used to produce the currently-leading technologies. By vastly bringing the cost of infrared cameras and goggles down, we hope to expand the market and bring infrared imaging to many more people.
Imagine a world where there are computer screens that display colors that can only be seen from within a short distance, and can only be read using infrared goggles. Imagine a world where doctors can use an infrared camera to quickly diagnose a skin lesion, scientists can study and save suffering animals, and engineers can locate faulty electronics or thermal insulation in buildings and plants. That world can be realized through infrared technology and Infrared Solutions will be at the forefront of affordable, quality infrared imaging.
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